By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor 

sports@beeherald.com

A valiant Olympic effort by Australian tennis player Chris Guccione was a brief one, as the Jefferson resident and his partner, John Peers fell in first round doubles action at the 2016 Rio Olympics Saturday, Aug. 6 in straight sets (2-0). 

Argentina’s win didn’t come easy, as Juan Martin del Potro and Maximo Gonzalez won each set by just two games, 6-4 in the opening set and 7-5 in the second and final set. 

The first round match was brisk, played in just over an hour. The first set took 33 minutes while the 12 game second set lasted 43 minutes. 

The Argentinians won 64 total games to Australia’s 54, showing how close the match actually was.  

In fact, the Aussie duo produced more winners (27-26) and aces (4-3) than their opponents but double faulted twice compared to not one double fault from Argentina. 

The two teams were close in unforced errors as well, as Argentina accumulated 10 to Australia’s 11 though seven of Australia’s errors came in the decisive second set. 

Peers is ranked 18th in the world in doubles while Guccione is ranked 44th. 

del Potro rode his round one doubles victory to an upset in singles play, as he defeated world No. 1, Novak Djokovic in straight sets Sunday, 2-0. 

But, the Argentina duo lost in the second round Monday, falling 2-1 to Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez. 

del Potro continued his hot singles play and defeated Portugal’s Joao Sousa 2-1 in the second round Monday. He was set to take on Daniel Taro of Japan in Wednesday’s third round match. 

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor

sports@beeherald.com

A coach with ties to the city of Jefferson will take over the reigns of the Greene County boys basketball team this winter. 

Chris Nelson, a 2002 graduate of Jefferson-Scranton High School, was recently named the new head. 

Nelson played four years of college basketball at Central College in Pella and transitioned to a student coach in his fifth year. 

“Chris had shown interest and had pursued it and seemed to be a good fit,” Greene County activities director, Dean Lansman said. “ I think Chris will bring a lot of positives to the program. His overall knowledge of the game will help the kids.” 

Nelson’s connections to Jefferson were a big pull for the coach. 

“The no. 1 thing, this is my home town,” he said. “I just wanted to, if I had that chance to come back.”

The husband and father of two spent the past nine years a few miles west coaching at Glidden-Ralston. 

Nelson replaces Jeramie Hinote, who led the Rams to a 10-11 record and a first round district loss to Carroll during the 2015-16 season. 

Glidden-Ralston went 11-11 last season with Nelson at the helm. The Wildcats averaged 54.9 points per game and made 41 percent of their field goal attempts. 

Nelson is married to Katie and the two just welcomed their second child, son Tryce last week. They also have a daughter, Nora. 

The coach enjoys the teaching aspect of the game and the intricacies of the sport. 

“I’ve always been a huge basketball fan and I was pretty lucky to have a good career playing it,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed the small things of basketball, the fundamentals and just getting better. Being able to pass those on to kids at all ages is something I really enjoy. Being able to come back to Jefferson and do it is really exciting.” 

Greene County has not experienced a winning record since they were known as Jefferson-Scranton in the 2011-12 season, five years. They were 13-10 and won a first round district game over South Central Calhoun. 

Nelson is optimistic for the upcoming winter season and sees some pieces already in place. He implements a fast and physical style of play.  

“I like to get up and down, i was a guard in high school,” Nelson said. “But at the same time, utilize our big guys. Really, the key is to get up and down and get in the paint. Either with post entry passes or drives, penetrate and kick or cutting. (I want) to be physical, especially on the defensive side. Be in an aggressive mindset and be on the attack and try to dictate things.” 

The Rams return senior Trey Tucker, who led the team in scoring a season ago at 19.2 points per game, but lost seven seniors. Just three juniors played on last year’s squad.

Nelson said his familiarity with some of the returning guys was also a big pull for him. He’s attended a handful of open gyms already. 

“I’m looking forward to meet the guys,” the coach said. “Going into this job it helped that i knew some of the guys a little bit and I’ve got to watch them play. I know there’s quite a bit of talent and we are going to see where their skills take them with some hard work.”

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor 

sports@beeherald.com

The Boone Toreador swim team looks to build off one of the best season’s in school history and takes aim at a North Central Conference title in 2016. 

Six Greene County High School girls will help make up a Toreador squad that came in second at the conference meet a year ago.

Newton took home the team title in 2015 with 363 points, a few dozen points ahead of Boone’s 316 and would go on to finish 12th at state. 

The Cardinals lost 100-yard butterfly state-champion and 200-yard freestyle silver-medalist, Samantha Hedrick to graduation as well as Sydney Jenkins and Hannah Rhoads. All three were members of the state-qualifying 200-yard freestyle relay team. 

Boone returns 14 swimmers including their entire school record-breaking and state-qualifying 200-meter relay squad as well as senior Erin Kokemiller, who also qualified for state in the 100-yard breast stroke. The only major contributor the Toreadors lost was diver Kennedy Bass, who qualified for state a season ago in the diving competition. 

Greene County’s Haley Hall returns to the Boone team as a member of the defending conference champion relay teams in the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle events. She also took home second in the 100-yard butterfly.  

Decorah, Vinton-Shellsburg and Grinnell each return state qualifiers and round out a solid core of North Central Conference foes. 

The first swim meet of the fall is a mere days away, as the Boone girls hit the pool Monday, Aug. 22 in the Des Moines Lincoln Invite.

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor

sports@beeherald.com

A veteran-laden Gilbert squad is the team to beat in Heart of Iowa Conference girl’s cross country this fall. 

The Tigers finished seventh overall at state a year ago and return six runners, including five juniors. The Tigers put a stranglehold on the competition at last October’s conference meet and placed five runners in the top 10 at the conference meet, all of which return. 

Gilbert is led by junior and all-state runner, Emily Branson, who cruised to a seventh place finish at state with a time of 19:26. In all, the Tigers had three runners place in the state’s top 50. Junior Maggie Pollard finished 26th while senior Carly Rahn came in 49th.

All 10 of the Heart of Iowa Conference’s top runners return this fall, heavily dominated by Gilbert and North Polk. North Polk ran to a second place finish at the conference meet in Ames last October and came in ninth overall at the Class 2A state meet.  

The Comets should be Gilbert’s biggest threat, as they return five of their top six runners from a year ago. 

The only non Gilbert or North Polk runner in the top 10 was Collins-Maxwell-Baxter’s Heather Jessen, who came in eighth as a junior. 

Greene County finished seventh at the conference meet, with senior Olivia Hansen leading the way, gliding to a time of 22:42.7, which secured her 17th overall. 

Junior Emily Finch finished 21st with a time of 7:21.9 while freshman Melanie Doran snuck into the top 70 with a spot at 68. 

BOY’S CROSS COUNTRY 

Gilbert is also the cream of the crop on the boy’s side, as the Tigers return six runners from last year’s conference champion squad. 

Though fairly young in 2015 (Gilbert leaned on just one senior), the Tigers rode their talent to seventh overall at state and enter this fall as one of the Heart of Iowa Conference’s most experienced squads. 

No one was in Gilbert’s stratosphere at the conference meet last October as the Tigers essentially lapped the field, winning by 53 points over second place North Polk (83). 

Greene County came in ninth at the ISU Cross Country course with 256 points. Junior Nick Killion was the Rams’ top finisher, coming in 55th overall with a time of 21:07.9.

Sophomore Ben Wilkens is the only other returning Ram who cracked the top 100 (97). 

Eight of the conference’s top 10 runners return this fall, including junior Jason Taylor, who came in 41st overall at state with a time of (17:16.9). 

Saydel’s David Parker, senior, was the HOIC’s lone other runner to crack the top 50 at state (50th). 

Gilbert returns three other runners who placed in the top 100 – Ethan Mesenbrink (71st), Stephen Shuka (72nd) and John Ockey (83rd). 

North Polk bounced back from the conference meet beatdown and finished sixth at the Class 2A state meet. The Comets are led by junior Jacob Wilcox, who came in 42nd overall at state and return five of their top seven runners.  

Greene County boys and girls open the cross country season Thursday, Aug. 25 at the Gilbert Invite in Ames.

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor 

sports@beeherald.com

The district’s top rusher is gone but several viable replacements should keep the ground attack alive and well amid a 2016 Class 3A district 2 shakeup. 

Webster City, last year’s district 2 champion, enters the fall returning a 1,000 yard rusher in senior Payton Kannuan. The Lynx were one of five district 2 teams that featured a 1,000 yard rusher in which they deployed two 1,000 yard backs propelling them to an 11-1 record.

Gilbert, Ballard, Dallas Center-Grimes and Iowa Falls-Alden join district 2 for the 2016 season while Humboldt, Carroll and Algona depart. 

Webster City returns after running for 2,148 yards on the ground en route to a 9-0 regular season record and two playoff victories before falling to Sergeant Bluff-Luton. Kannuan ran for 1,254 yards as a junior and also accounted for 11 touchdowns. Filling the shoes of Gavin Dinsdale shouldn’t be too tall of an order, though the departed senior did run for 1,958 yards and 29 touchdowns in Webster City’s ground-breaking 2015 season. 

The remainder of the Lynx offense has a few holes to fill, having lost quarterback Avery Fuhs and leading wide receiver Alex Fuhs to graduation. 

Avery threw for 12 touchdowns and ran for 817 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Alec was by far the Lynx’s top receiver, snaring 10 touchdowns and 568 yards. No other receiver caught more than one touchdown. 

The Lynx will also have to lean on new blood on the defensive side. Webster City graduated the district’s top tackler, Victor Jergens, who made 99 tackles and six sacks a season ago as well as their next two top tacklers.  The Lynx surrendered 55 points in their lone and season-ending loss to Sergeant Bluff-Luton. 

Greene County lost one of the district’s top rushers as well in Daric Whipple. The dual-threat quarterback is now a walk-on at Iowa State University. He ran for 1,101 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior, also throwing for the third most passing yards in district 2 (1,508) and 17 touchdowns, also top three in the district. Whipple was the Rams’ top rusher and passer. Wide receiver Nick Schroeder does return for his senior season, as he caught 28 balls a year ago for six touchdowns and 517 yards. It is now just a matter of finding out who will get him the ball. Then freshman Clint Dennhardt got the start for the injured Whipple in a late season game a season ago. 

Boone could emerge as a dark horse in the district as they return leading passing, Tanner Schminke, who threw for a district best 1,872 passing yards and 22 touchdowns in 2015. Schminke also ran for six touchdowns and 446 yards on the ground. 

The Toreadors also return lanky junior receiver John Herrick, who caught 32 balls for 579 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago. Senior Colbey Wadsworth was third in the district with 75.5 tackles and three sacks. 

District 6 champion Gilbert joins the fold after blitzing through the district a year ago with a 6-0 conference record and a 9-2 overall record. 

The Tigers bested Chariton, 49-7 in the first round of the playoffs then fell, 27-11 to Norwalk. District 6 second-leading rusher, Cody Dvorak returns for his senior season, as he ran for 1,055 yards and 18 touchdowns on just 86 carries, a 12.3 yards per carry clip. Gilbert did graduate Zach Becker who scored 15 touchdowns on the ground, but also return senior Steven Lawrence, who boasts a 7.1 YPC average and scored five touchdowns on the ground. 

Ballard played alongside the Tigers in district 6 last fall, going 5-1 in conference and securing a first round playoff victory over former district 2 foe, Algona, 28-27. 

The Bombers will look to junior running back Hunter Wright for offense this fall, who as a sophomore ran for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns in 2015. 

Ballard also will trot out a dual-threat at the quarterback position in senior Max Stoltz. Stoltz ran for 617 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground in 2015 while also throwing for eight touchdowns and completing 57 percent of his passes. The then junior threw just two interceptions in 88 pass attempts. 

Ballard should be a force on the defensive side, as they return their top two tacklers from a season ago in seniors Seth Moore (98.5) and Cade Wilson (93). The duo led all of district 6. 

Both the Bombers and the Tigers are familiar with their new district 2 opponents. 

Gilbert lost to Webster City, 42-19 in last year’s season opener, but beat Boone (40-37) and Perry (44-0). 

Ballard beat Boone, 29-23 in their fist game and fell to Dallas Center-Grimes in the second round of the playoffs (31-7). 

District 8 co-champion DCG finished the year 9-3 in 2015 with a 5-1 district record and two playoff victories. 

The Mustangs will need to revamp most of their offense this fall if they hope to repeat their success, as their quarterback and leading rusher, Austin Kloewer, departed due to graduation. Dallas Center-Grimes also lost Anthony Jacobsen, who scored 11 touchdowns on the ground as well as their top receiver, Keaton Moore, who caught five touchdown passes. 

The Mustangs will have one back with experience to hand the ball to in senior Nathan Brown, who ran for nine touchdowns and 530 yards a year ago. 

DCG will have several gigantic holes to fill on the defensive side as well, as the top three tacklers in the district were seniors for the Mustangs in 2015. The trio of Logan Buck, Dallas Miles and Nate Osborn combined for 253 tackles forming a stingy defense.

DCG defeated Boone, 48-7 and Ballard, 31-7 last fall. They fell to Norwalk, 19-14 in the third round of the playoffs.  

Iowa Falls-Alden is now in the mix as well, moving up to Class 3A after spending 2015 in Class 2A district 6. The Cadets were 4-6 overall but qualified for the playoffs. They were dismantled by Albia in the first round, 56-0. The Cadets also fell to Webster City, 56-10 on Oct. 2. 

Iowa Falls-Alden will look to fill the void left by quarterback Ross Norem, who threw for a district-leading 1,411 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Senior running back Logan Ward returns, after leading the Cadets in rushing in 2015 with 687 yards and four touchdowns on 71 carriers for a 9.7 per carry average - tops in the district. 

Also in district 2 is Perry, who went 0-9 last fall.  

Five of the eight district 2 teams qualified for the playoffs a season ago. Just the district champion and runner-up will automatically qualify for the playoffs. The 2016 field has been reduced to 16 teams from 32 a season ago. 

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor 

sports@beeherald.com

While the Paton-Churdan boys will not qualify for team competitions due to a lack of runners, the Rockets will face some tough individual runners in the Rolling Valley Conference this fall. 

The Rockets will field just three runners this fall. Isaac Ireland returns as Paton-Churdan’s top runner and finished ninth at the conference meet as a sophomore (19:29.54). Jack Bryson finished 29th. 

All but one of the conference’s top 10 runners return, including Exira-EHK’s Evan Wilson, who cruised to the top spot in the RVC and sixth place at state in 1A a year ago as only a sophomore. He secured the conference title by nearly 16 seconds with a time of 17:31.36 and earned first team all-state recognition. 

Boyer Valley returns their entire top six from a year ago as they look to defend their Rolling Valley Conference crown, which they won with relative ease by 17 points and almost a full four seconds. 

Seniors Connor Garrett and Zach Ambrose will lead the Bulldogs on the course, as each finished in the top 25 at the 1A state meet in 2015. Garrett finished 22nd (17:27.4) while Ambrose finished just a few steps behind in 23rd with a nearly identical time of (17:27.6)

The Adair-Casey/CAM boys finished second and will lean on senior Cole Billheimer, who looks to build off his 32nd place finish at state a season ago. He is one of five returning runners for AC/CAM. Experience will play a big role this season for Adair-Casey/CAM, as a handful of their key producers were freshmen and sophomores a year ago. A full offseason should only enhance the talent of the AC/CAM squad.  

The Rockets travel to Southeast Valley Thursday, Aug. 25 for their first meet of the season.

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor 

sports@beeherald.com

***EDITOR’S NOTE

Two former Rams will represent Greene County football on the ISU team this fall as freshmen walk-ons. Daric Whipple and Noah Jurgensen have been practicing with the Cyclones in Ames since early August. Whipple and Jurgensen were not available to the press as the ISU program does not allow freshmen to talk to media. As of Tuesday, Whipple was listed on Iowa State’s roster as a running back. Jurgensen was listed as a defensive end. 

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AMES –  With change comes a few certainties. 

The Iowa State Cyclones know they will have playmakers, even as an entirely new coaching staff enters. 

Head coach Matt Campbell takes over for the departed Paul Rhoads to lead a team that features deep-threat Allen Lazard at the receiver position and freshman sensation, Mike Warren at tailback. 

The fan buzz for the regime started to build over the spring and summer even following a 3-9 campaign. Campbell and company hope to keep the momentum going into the fall. 

The Cyclones take on in-state foe and FCS opponent, UNI, Saturday, Sept. 3 in the season opener.

Campbell relishes the enthusiasm but wants expectations to be a little more tempered, as even he doesn’t know what to expect with such a new team. Forty-one new players joined the roster over the offseason. But the past eight months, he said, has been chance to turn the program around from the bottom up. 

“They (the fans) should be excited. Our job is to continue the momentum and the excitement,” Campbell said. “I think it’s really hard for us as a coaching staff today to honestly say, ‘here’s where this team is and this is what we are capable of doing.’ Because we don’t even know yet. We’ve just been through eight months of starting to build a culture. 

Campbell hasn’t imposed unrealistic goals on his new team but wants to make sure visible improvement is made each practice. He said the success may not be measured in wins or record-breaking performances, but there will be progress. 

“What I told our kids on our first meeting my expectations for this team are really simple – can we get better every day, can this team reach our full potential,” the coach said. “What that is and what that looks like, I can’t put a number on that. I challenge them to reach our full potential, individually and collectively. And if we can do that then we are making really good head way.” 

One Iowa State’s most talented and heralded athletes, junior wide receiver Allen Lazard enters the 2016 season poised for a breakout. 

Lazard caught 56 balls for 808 yards and six touchdowns a season ago. Campbell immediately realized the Urbandale natives importance to the 2016 offense. 

“(He’s) got to be the starting point for us in our offensive game planning, Allen has to touch the ball,” Campbell said. “We have to find ways to create match ups, find ways to get the ball in his hands.”

The head coach touched on his receiver’s on-field on IQ in addition to his football talents. It’s what he feels sets Lazard apart. 

“Not only is he a physically skilled player and good at the craft of the wide receiver, but he’s a really intelligent football player as well,” Campbell said. “That really lends to a guy like that being able to play all the positions and know what to do and know what to do.”

That awareness to how special Lazard can be and the importance he is to the offense is why Campbell said fans can expect to see the junior all over the field come fall. 

“I think we will see him at any position other than offensive line,” Campbell said. 

Sophomore tailback Mike Warren is the Cyclones’ other offensive stud. As a freshman, the Lawton, Oklahoma native rushed for 1,339 yards and five touchdowns. 

Warren will no longer be a surprise to opposing teams, Campbell said.

“He’s got to be able to adapt to how they are going to take him away,” the coach said.  “He has some of those skill sets, he can be a mismatch. My biggest thing w him is consistency. 

With that being said, Campbell has seen progression among the young back over the last several months. 

“He looks bigger and stronger,” the coach said. “He had a really good summer and he will continue to understand the whole game.”

With a core of playmakers like the Cyclones posses, the other guys around them must step up, Campbell said. 

“The key is, they have to be multiple in their skill-sets and the guys around them have to raise their level and be factors,” Campbell said. “We have to be able to execute and that’s what I really like about our football team is they have raised their level.”

A 7 p.m. kick-off is set for the opener with the Panthers.  

2016 IOWA STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3 - UNI, CYCLONES.TV

6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10 - @ Iowa, Big Ten Network

11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17  – @ TCU, Fox Sports 1

11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 – San Jose State, FSN

TBA Saturday, Oct. 1 – Baylor

TBA Saturday, Oct. 8 – @ Oklahoma State

TBA Saturday, Oct. 15 – @ Texas, Longhorn Network, Cyclones.TV

TBA Saturday, Oct. 29 – Kansas State (Homecoming)

6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3 – Oklahoma, ESPN

TBA Saturday, Nov. 12 – @ Kansas

TBA Saturday, Nov. 19 – Texas Tech

TBA Saturday, Nov. 26 – West Virginia 

The dawn of the 2016 football season brings a new, 16-team playoff format across the five Iowa High School divisions - a move that should be met with resounding applause. 

For the last eight years since 2007, 32 teams in each class qualified for the playoffs every season, a number supposed to create parity and opportunity among Iowa schools. 

But it mostly brought criticism and generated concern for player safety – student athletes were playing in some casses, four games in 14 days. So in a move to cut down on injuries and stress on athletes’ bodies, the Iowa High School Athletic Association board voted last spring to abandon the 32-team playoff system and move to a 16-team field. 

“It all had to do with our main concern of risk minimization among our students and trying to get our schedule so we are only playing one football game a week,” Iowa High School Athletic Association assistant director and football administrator Todd Tharp said in a recent interview.  

In years past, playoff teams would play the following Wednesday after the conclusion of week nine,  then would turn around and play that Monday then again the following Friday - essentially playing four games in 14 days. Now, playoff games are held on Fridays, with a week in between games. 

The IHSAA, the National Federation of State High School Associations and officials felt that much football in such short amount of time was too detrimental to the young student athletes. They had two options, Tharp said – shorten the regular season to eight games and stick with the 32-team playoff system or stay put with a nine-game regular season but cut the playoff field in half. 

Another reason to stick with the nine game schedule was to give each Iowa school nine home games over a two year stretch. 

“We appreciate and respect the importance of that income and how football basically drives a majority of school’s athletic budget,” Tharp said. “We didn’t feel comfortable taking away a home game from them.” 

The amount of teams ultimately came down to how many playoff rounds would be held each year. Eliminating just eight teams and trimming the field to 24 wasn’t feasible, as 16 teams would still play a potential of five playoff games whereas just eight teams would have a bye. 

With the 16-team system, there are now only four possible rounds of playoffs compared to five rounds, and though it may seem like schools will have an easier route to the UNI Dome now (where ALL state semifinals and championships are played each year) with just two wins needed to advance, it’s not true in the slightest. 

Tharp said he did occasionally hear whispers and complaints from coaches that the 32-team playoff system watered down the competition and there were too many “lopsided” playoff scores. But on the flip side, he said the system often drew praise for the increased opportunities for fringe schools to make a run at the championship. He cited Pella’s run to the state championship as a four seed in the first year of the 32-team system in reference to the possible parity. 

Aside from the obvious safety improvements, which I am absolutely all for, I tend to agree with the critics of the 32-team playoff field. It did water down the competition quite a bit and more importantly, the regular season was de-emphasized. 

Yes, I get the increased opportunities for frignge programs, but Cinderella stories are a rarity, especially in football. The talent gap can be extreme in many cases, and it’s not like baseball or basketball where you can rely on a hot shooting night or a dominant pitcher. Talent almost always wins out on the gridiron. 

The four automatic qualifiers diluted the regular season. Many teams were squeaking into the playoffs with .500 or worse, losing records. 

Just look at some of the first round scores from a year ago, several teams with dismal records made the playoffs just because they happened to play in a weak district and stumbled their way into the third or fourth spot.

Take Iowa Falls-Alden for example. They finished with a 4-6 record a year ago but came in third in 2A district 6. Their stay in the playoffs was very, very brief as they lost, embarrassingly, 56-0 to Albia in the first round. 

Bondurant-Farrar, while they didn’t have a losing record, snuck into the third spot in 3A district 6 and got spanked in the first round by Norwalk, losing by an identical 56-0 score. 

Even the successful local teams made the first round as uninteresting as can be. Glidden-Ralston, who spent most of the 2015 season in the top 10, throttled its first round opponent Stanton, 55-14. 

This fall, each of the eight district winners and runner-ups in the Class 4A and eight man divisions will earn automatic bids into the playoffs. For Class A through Class 3A, only seven districts are formed, which means both the district champions and second place teams advance to the playoffs in addition to two at-large teams (14 auto-bids and two at-large bids). 

Any district that has two or more teams finish in a tie for first, all will qualify. The next at-large criteria will be based on district record. If a handful of teams have identical district records and are vying for a final spot, the criteria will go to head-to-head records. If they didn’t play each other, a +/- 17 point differential will be used as a tiebreaker. If that still dos not decide the at-large team, a modified alphabetical draw will be held. 

This is a marked improvement and I look forward to a thrilling regular season and playoffs in 2016. Enjoy and may the competition be fierce.

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor 

sports@beeherald.com

*** Don’t forget to paricipate in The Bee’s Weekly Football contest. Entries are to due at The Jefferson Herald office each Friday by 5 p.m. 

Also, give Jefferson Herald sports editor Brandon Hurley a follow on Twitter (@BrandonJHurley) and let him know your thoughts each week. 

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Welcome, welcome, welcome to my weekly picks column where I not only will make my picks of the week but I will also announce the weekly winners of the Football Contest from the week prior. 

This Thursday’s column is exclusively online as we did not have room in our fall sports preview section, but starting next week (Sept. 3), this article will be published in The Jefferson Herald sports section each Thursday through the remainder of the football season. 

I’ll be making picks just for fun, perhaps a reference point for some of our readers or for friendly competition to see how we stack up. I may try to go off on a tangent from week to week before making my picks, but we shall see. 

So here we go, week one has a arrived and football is back in our lives once again. Major college football is still a week away, so we are sticking to local high school games this week. When the college games do start up, I will add the spreads as well.

The weekly football contest is straight up, but I will pick against the spread, to make it a little more challenging. 

To the picks!

***WINNERS ARE IN BOLD****

1. Greene County at Kuemper Catholic (Carroll)

I’ve got to go with the Rams here in a slight upset. New quarterback, new defense, but they find some magic. 

2. Humboldt at Webster City 

The Lynx are just too much as they return 1,000 yard rusher, Payton Kannuan. They won’t be as good this year but are still better than Humboldt. 

3. Carroll at South Central Calhoun 

A huge test for SCC but I’m taking the Tigers. They return a talented quarterback-wide receiver/running back duo in Kolby Molinsky and Dayton Ross from their 7-4 campaign last year. Titan receiver Kody Case is talented, but he can’t will them to an upset win. The talent gap will be just a little too big in this 2A vs. 3A matchup. 

4. A-D-M at Dallas Center-Grimes 

DC-G takes it. The Mustangs are just a bit more talented and a bit more veteran for the Tigers to have a chance at an upset. 

5. Ballard at Carlisle 

Carlisle battled its way to a 6-4 record in a top-heavy district last season but a veteran and top-10 ranked Ballard squad will be too much to handle. Senior quarterback Max Stoltz leads the Bombers to victory. 

6. Cedar Falls at Fort Dodge

Two average teams that lost a lot offensively from a season ago. It’s basically a coin flip and I’ll go with Fort Dodge since they are playing at home. 

7. Gilbert at Roland-Story

New Class 3A, district two squad Gilbert rolls over an abysmal Roland-Story squad with ease. 

8. North Polk at Perry

The Comets shouldn’t have any trouble with the Bluejays as Perry went winless last fall and don’t have much hope for a different tale this season. 

9. Coon Rapids-Bayard at Newell-Fonda

The Crusaders are loaded with returning starters on both sides of the ball and should prove to be one of the more improved teams in all of eight-man. 

10. Glidden-Ralston at Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire

I’m giving this one to the Wildcats for the sheer reason that they have established a big-time winning tradition in Glidden. Plus, GT/RA lost one of their best players in program history to graduation. 

11. Panorama at Des Moines Christian

This here, just going off last season is a bit of an upset special for the fact Des Moines Christian was just 4-6 in 2015. But they return their quarterback, Nathan Herbers, who threw for 20 touchdowns and Panorama lost their top three leading-rushers. 

12. Eagle Grove at Southeast Valley 

The Jaguars return their top-rushing duo from a season ago (Kaleb Jondle, Aaron Swieter) who combined for 22 touchdowns. They should have an easy time with Eagle Grove. 

13. East Sac County at IKM-Manning 

This is probably one of the tougher match ups to pick in week one. The two were locked in a 7-6 snooze fest a year ago and both squads lost a lot of talent. I give IKM-Manning the edge just for last year’s victory and being at home. 

14. Woodward-Granger at Madrid

The Woodward-Granger Hawks don’t stand a chance against what should be a very fired up and very emotional Madrid squad. The Tigers are playing in their first game without the late, legendary head coach, Randy Hinkel, who was at the school for 27 years. It's at home, under the lights - Madrid wins easily. 

15. Oskaloosa at Pella

The Little Dutch have won 28-straight games en route to back-to-back 3A state championships. It’s hard to envision Pella dropping the first game of 2016. 

16. Dowling Catholic at Ankeny

The three-time defending 4A state champions, Dowling Catholic Maroons should face a bit of a test against Ankeny, but the dynasty that has exploded over the last five years is just a little too much for the Hawks. 

17. Council Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson at Denison-Schleswig

Full disclosure: this could be an ugly game on both sides of the ball. These two teams combined for one win and 17 losses last season. I give Denison-Schleswig the slight edge, only because they are at home. 

2016 record: 0-0

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor

sports@beeherald.com

CHURDAN – The Paton-Churdan cross country team will field just three runners this fall,  which means the Rockets once again won’t qualify for any team meets. 

But head coach Lauren Bardole won’t let that deter the runners from the goals they set forth each year as they return one runner who placed top 10 in the Rolling Valley a season ago. 

Jack Bryson returns as the Rockets’ top runner this fall. He finished 29th in the conference meet. Trevoer Bundt is back again while Jon Thede joins the team as a freshman. Isaac Ireland, who finished ninth at the conference meet last fall, did not go out for the team in 2016. 

The initial August practices have been vital in getting the trio into cross country shape. 

“At our first practice, we did some real conditioning and then I asked the boys to really think about why they are out for cross country and what they’d like to accomplish this season.  

The 2016 season is all about progress. Bardole is big on setting goals and accomplishing them as well as instilling mental toughness. 

“Cross Country is such an independent sport, especially this year when they will be unable to compete as a team,” the coach said. “I have them write down goals, make sure they are attainable and then have them write two things that will help them meet their goals.” 

Bardole is excited to see what the lone Rocket newcomer can do in his first year at the high school level. Thede had a productive year on the middle school circuit and is ready for the new challenges of high school competition. 

“It will be an adjustment from running the shorter, middle school courses he ran last year,” Bardole said. “He was very successful last season, so it will be fun to watch him transform this season into a high school athlete.”

  Though they are putting forth a very small team, the Rockets enter the fall with an increased knowledge of the sport as a whole then in 2015. 

“We know what to expect, how a cross country meet looks and is run,” Bardole said. “We have a better familiarity with the sport.”

The biggest challenge, Bardole said, out of many hurdles with a small team, is keeping the guys motivated and going that extra mile. She’ll help stagger the runners in practice so no one runner gets too far ahead of the group. That’s an important aspect of keeping the trio motivated, she said. 

“We need to make sure everything is pushing eachother and being held accountable,” the coach said. “It’s really easy to say ‘hey, I’m not going to send a fast pace today, maybe we will slack off as a group.’ When you have more runners there’s more inner drive and competition. With three runners, you really have to have that internal motivation to push yourself in practice.”

Exira-EHK’s Evan Wilson poses to be the conference’s most talented runner, cruising to a sixth place at state in 1A a year ago as only a sophomore. He was the Spartans’ only runner to place in the top 20 in the conference. 

Boyer Valley seniors Connor Garrett and Zach Ambrose will the runners’ toughest competition this season, as each finished in the top 25 at the 1A state meet in 2015. Garrett finished 22nd (17:27.4) while Ambrose finished just a few steps behind in 23rd with a nearly identical time of (17:27.6).

The Rockets open the cross country season at Southeast Valley today (Thursday, Aug. 25) in Gowrie. 

2016 Paton Churdan Cross Country Schedule

• Thursday, Aug. 25 - Southeast Valley   Away

• Thursday, Sept. 1 - West Central Valley    Away

• Thursday, Sept. 8 - Greene County Invite (Spring Lake)   Away

• Thursday, Sept. 15 - Panorama (Lake Panorama Golf Course)   Away

• Thursday, Sept. 22 - Audubon    Away

• Monday, Sept. 26 - Orient Macksburg (Orient Lake)    Away

• Thursday, Sept. 29 - West Central Valley    Away

• Monday, Oct. 3 - Woodbine    Away

• Tuesday, Oct. 4 - South Central Calhoun (Lake City)   Away

• Thursday, Oct. 20 - Regionals    TBA

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor 

sports@beeherald.com

JEFFERSON – A strong support system could help the Greene County cross country team have an improved season this fall in their second year at the Class 3A level. 

Though participation numbers are lackluster once again, a handful of the top runners on both the boy’s and girl’s squads return. 

Head coach Kelly Simpson has noticed an improved attitude among his returning athletes. 

“One positive I am already seeing from is the support they are giving to their young teammates and each other,” he said. 

The Rams’ first season in 3A was a struggle a year ago, in a highly competitive Heart of Iowa Conference on both sides. Just two returning female runners cracked the top 25 at the conference meet while not a single boy made the top 50. 

Senior Olivia Hansen, the girl’s top returning runner finished 17th at the conference meet and should prove to be the Rams best shot at success. She set a personal best at the state qualifying meet, running to a time of 21:07.7 which placed her 19th overall. 

Hansen placed in the top 10 four times last season, with her highest finish fourth overall at the West Central Valley Invite Sept. 3. 

Then senior Emily Finch finished 21st at the conference meet in Ames while sophomore Melanie Doran snuck into the top 70 with a spot at 68. 

It was an even bigger struggle for the boys’ side. Junior Nick Killion was the Rams’ top finisher, coming in 55th overall with a time of 21:07.9. Junior Ben Wilkens is the only other returning Ram who cracked the top 100 (97th).

“Last year our numbers were small, especially with the boys and the girls race moved from the 4K to the 5K,” Simpson said. “Making that adjustment, and both squads moving up to the competitive 3A classification was difficult.”

The Greene County girls finished seventh at the conference meet, while the Ram boys finished ninth. 

All 10 of the Heart of Iowa Conference’s top female runners return, heavily dominated by Gilbert and North Polk. North Polk ran to a second place finish at the conference meet in Ames last October and came in ninth overall at the Class 2A state meet.  

The Comets should be Gilbert’s biggest threat, as they return five of their top six runners from a year ago. 

Eight of the conference’s top 10 male runners return this fall, including junior Jason Taylor, who came in 41st overall at state with a time of (17:16.9). 

Simpson said it will continue to be a challenge at the Class 3A level with such low participation. Other in season adjustments will need to be made for both squads to see improvement. 

“The boys numbers are still small, and now our freshman have to adjust from the junior high two mile distance to the 5K race,” Simpson said. “What the squad learned last year from their experiences will dictate the success they have this year and the leadership and advice they give the newcomers.”

Greene County boys and girls open the cross country season today (Thursday, Aug. 25) at the Gilbert Invite in Ames at the Iowa State University cross country course. The annual Greene County Invite is two weeks from now, Thursday, Sept. 8 at Spring Lake State Park. 

2016 Greene County Cross Country Schedule 

**Home meets in bold**

• Thursday, Aug. 25 - Gilbert Invite      Away (ISU cross country course)

• Thursday, Sept. 1 - West Central Valley (Stuart)    Away

• Thursday, Sept. 8 - Greene County Invite (Spring Lake State Park)   Home

* Thursday, Sept. 22 - Norsemen Invite (Roland-Story)      Away

• Thursday, Sept. 29 - Perry Invite      Away

• Tuesday, Oct. 4 - South Central Calhoun (Lake City)     Away

• Thursday, Oct. 13 - Saydel Invite       Away (HOIC meet) 

* Monday, Oct. 17 - State qualifying meet    TBA

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor

sports@beeherald.com

CHURDAN –  New Paton-Churdan volleyball coach John Johnson faces a tall order in replacing departed seniors Sydney Koch and Carleigh Paup in his first season at the helm. 

But a solid core of young, experienced players poised to fill the void should prove to be more than capable building blocks.  

Paup and Koch were the only two players to graduate from last season’s 8-11 squad that finished with a .500 record in the Rolling Valley Conference. 

Johnson has 22 years of coaching experience under his belt and began his career as a volunteer assistant at Iowa Central Community College at the age of 19. 

He stuck around the Fort Dodge area for awhile coaching at a handful of different high schools while also assisting at Iowa Central. In addition, the 41-year old has coached USA Club and AAU volleyball for 25 years. 

His coaching philosophy centers around team work and a cohesiveness on the court. 

“Volleyball is a sport where it definitely takes an entire team to win, so I promote the heck out of that,” Johnson said. “The girls are doing a real good job of that and we have made huge strides forward as a program.”

Paton Churdan finished alone in sixth place in the Rolling Valley with a 5-5 conference record a year ago. They fell to Adair-Casey, 3-0 in the opening round of regionals. 

Glidden-Ralston was the conference champ last season with an 8-2 record while four teams tied for second at 7-3. 

Coon Rapids-Bayard led the conference in kills last fall with 754 and a conference-leading 258 service aces. Boyer Valley came in second with 713 kills and 243 aces. 

Together, the departed duo of Koch and Paup combined for almost 300 kills and nearly 60 aces during their final season. 

Koch’s 259 kills were second in the conference as she featured a 3.98 kill per set average. She also served up 29 aces to lead the team while Paup swatted 27. 

Johnson never had a chance to coach Paup, but he did have a lengthy history with Koch, so he realizes the impact her loss will have on the program.  

“I have known Sydney and her family for a long time, and have coached her multiple times in club ball so I know her well,” the coach said. “She is a great kid and very athletic and explosive volleyball player. She was really relied on last year for a lot of leadership and plays on the court.”

A pair of sophomores as well as a handful of juniors and seniors should prove to be competent replacements this fall as the Rockets take aim at a winning record and a top five finish in the Rolling Valley Conference. 

The Rockets will turn to sophomores Megan Carey and Jenna Byers as well as junior Grace Geisler. Carey pounded 82 kills as a freshman while Byers accounted for 65 kills and 150 digs last fall. 

Carey also served up 28 aces and added 36 blocks (8th in the RVC) while Geisler knocked in 26 aces as a sophomore in addition to her team-leading 173 digs, securing her a top 15 spot in the conference.  

Johnson expects big things from the versatile group, especially from Carey. 

“(Megan) is taking on a very big role this year and she has done an excellent job fitting in to my program ideals and will be expected to carry a big leadership role this year,” the coach said. “The great thing is, she’s only a sophomore so I am really looking forward to having her.”  

That trio along with Mariah Tasler and Maria Tasler should provide a solid foundation for the Rockets and each athlete has worked tirelessly in the offseason. 

When the coach first entered practice, he noticed how much passion the Rockets have for the game. Their dedication to improving each and everyday was a welcome sight. 

“Our biggest strength so far isn’t necessarily a skill used on the court, It’s actually the overall mentality of a lot of my players,” Johnson said. “They are working extremely hard to get better, and I really think they are hungry for a good season.  They want to be in the gym a lot and so as a first year coach here that is great to see.”

But with that, Johnson noted how the girls don’t always make the best decisions on the court. They can’t just rely on talent if they want to win more than eight games this season. 

“Our weaknesses lie in that our volleyball IQ is very low,” the coach said. “We are decently athletic and fast but we just don’t know much about volleyball. That makes (it) very challenging.”

Eight all-conference players return to the Rolling Valley this year which should set up for a wide open conference battle.  

The Rockets open the season Saturday, Sept. 3 with the Coon Rapids-Bayard tournament in Coon Rapids. Their first home match is set for Tuesday, Sept. 6 against Ar-We-Va. 

With the talent his squad returns, Johnson sees Paton-Churdan making a push for a top four spot in the Rolling Valley this fall. 

Johnson believes this group of girls has a high ceiling and he is ready to leave his mark on the Paton-Churdan program. A deep postseason run seems unlikely, but he won’t temper his expectations. 

“I always have decently high expectations for my teams, I think it’s important to aim high,” the coach said. “Of course, we always aim to make state, I think we have the athletes to do that but I am not sure if we have the mental edge for that.  

I am really looking forward to being a part of the Paton Churdan athletic program. I have had amazing support so far from both the kids and the administration. Really can’t wait to get on the court.”

2016 Paton-Churdan Volleyball Schedule

**Home games in bold**

Saturday, Sept. 3 - Coon Rapids-Bayard Tournament (Coon Rapids)   Away

Tuesday, Sept. 6 - Ar-We-Va    Home

Thursday, Sept. 8 - Woodbine   Away

Monday, Sept. 12 - Orient Macksburg   Away

Tuesday, Sept. 13 - Glidden-Ralston (Glidden)   Away

Saturday, Sept. 17 - Carroll Tournament   Away

Tuesday, Sept. 20 - Charter Oak-Ute    Home

Thursday, Sept. 22 - Eagle Grove    Away

Tuesday, Sept. 27 - CAM    Home

Tuesday, Oct. 4 - Boyer Valley   Away

Thursday, Oct. 6 - West Harrison   Away

Saturday, Oct. 8 - CAM Tournament  Away

Tuesday, Oct. 11 - Coon Rapids-Bayard   Home

Saturday, Oct. 15 - Exira-EHK Tournament   Away

Tuesday, Oct. 18 - Regionals   TBA

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor 

sports@beeherald.com

JEFFERSON – A new quarterback and four new offensive lineman hope to set the tone for the Greene County Rams this season. 

For success in a deeply talented district, the Greene County Rams must have several first-time starters become key contributors fast. 

The Rams went 4-5 a season ago, narrowly missing the playoffs in Class 3A, district 2 but lost several vital weapons on both sides of the ball. 

Gone are do-everything quarterback, Daric Whipple, who amassed more than 2,000 yards and  31 total touchdowns last year as well as a trio of three year starters in offensive lineman Noah Jurgensen, Ben Lint and Matthew Gordon, second-leading receiver Tyler Beger and running back Max Neese. Whipple and Jurgensen are now both members of the Iowa State University football team. 

Sophomore Clint Dennhardt try and replace Whipple as the Rams’ new signal-caller this fall. The quarterback made one start as a freshman last season, a 14-0 loss to Humboldt October 2. Dennhardt struggled mightily in his first high school action, completing just four of 20 passes while throwing three interceptions. 

Growing pains as the quarterback and four new offensive lineman get acclimated are expected, but keeping the playbook simple and almost identical to last year’s has been somewhat of a blessing for the group. 

“(Clint) did get a varsity start last year, so he’s used to that competition,” Lansman said. “It’s really tough to replace a three-year starter.“

Hunter Ruth returns as the only offensive lineman with starting experience. 

“Having to replace four out of five offensive lineman is a challenge, but coach Mark Sawhill is doing a nice job of teaching technique,” Lansman said. “(He) will have a solid group when week one rolls around.”

But a new found dedication to strength training in the offseason has the Rams head coach excited. 

“The biggest area we have developed this offseason has been in the weight room,” Lansman said. “The previous few years we have had good numbers as they reached their senior season, but (we) have really stressed the importance of getting the younger kids in (to the weight room) as well. This has gone extremely well.”

Dennhardt’s strength is how well can he sling the pigskin. The sophomore will look to 2015 leading-receiver Nick Schroeder as his no. 1 option this fall. The 6-3 senior snagged 28 balls for 517 yards and six touchdowns a season ago. Seniors Chase Stoline and Calvin Skalla also saw heavy rotation in last year’s offense. 

“(Clint) has a very good arm, he’ll be able to stretch the field,” Lansman said. “We obviously won’t have such a wide open playbook as we did last year. We will start out by keeping it simple and then as each week goes on we will be able to add things to it.”   

Senior Trey Tucker enters the fall season with the most career carries at running back and should pose to be a viable option for Dennhardt to hand the ball to. 

“The offense has been improving everyday and will get to where we need to be,” Lansman said. 

While linebacker and leading-tackler Keyden Pollack and defensive end Mitchell Gorsuch are gone on the opposite side of the ball, Lansman noted how the Ram defense should actually be a strength this season. 

Stoline and Logan Lansman return as defensive backs in addition to Tucker and Jake Berns at linebacker. Several returning players saw significant acton on the defensive side as well.  

SAME DISTRICT, NEW OPPONENTS 

Four new teams replace departed Carroll, Humboldt and Algona in Greene County’s district this year – Class 3A, district two. Gilbert, Ballard, Dallas Center-Grimes and Iowa Falls-Alden join the fold this fall and were all playoff qualifiers a season ago. 

Joining Greene County in the district once again are Webster City, Boone and Perry. Webster City also qualified for the playoffs, giving district two five returning playoff teams. 

The Des Moines Register has ranked Webster City, Dallas Center Grimes and Ballard in their preseason top 10 as well as week two opponent, Harlan. 

“It’s about a four to four split on new versus old, but it will be a lot of good competition,” Lansman said. 

Greene County opens the 2016 season on the road Friday in Carroll against Class 2A foe, Kuemper. The Knights went 3-7 a year ago but return their leading rusher, quarterback Gage Gunnerson. 

“They are going to have a little different look this year,” Lansman said. “They had been more of a spread offense in the past, but now they are going to a more traditional (run-first) offense. They are going to be physical.”

The Rams defeated the Knights, 35-21 in Jefferson last season in the year’s second game. Lansman expects the 2016 contest to be a bit more low-scoring. 

“Defensively, they play similar to us,” he said. “It’s a good smash mouth game each time we play. Neither one of us have have a lot of depth coming back from last year so it will be a good opportunity to see where we are at.” 

Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Kuemper football field in Carroll.  

2016 Greene County Football Schedule 

**All games on Friday

Aug. 26 - Kuemper Catholic (Carroll)    Away

Sept. 2 - Harlan       Away

Sept. 9 - Dallas Center-Grimes    Home

Sept. 16 - Webster City     Away 

Sept. 23 - Iowa Falls-Alden     Home

Sept. 30 - Boone    Away

Oct. 7 - Gilbert     Home 

Oct. 14 - Perry     Home

Oct. 21 - Ballard (Huxley)  Away 

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor 

sports@beeherald.com

@BrandonJHurley

CARROLL –  The Greene County football team fell in a hole early, one they could never dig out of in a 34-0 loss to Kuemper in the opening week of the high school season. 

The Knights’ Miles Rupiper broke open a 48-yard touchdown run on just Kuemper’s second play from scrimmage en route to a three touchdown, 143 yard day on the ground, powering the 2A squad to a convincing victory.  

The Rams struggled mightily on offense, piling up just 175 total yards throughout the four quarters. 

Greene County had a tough time adjusting with several new starters on both sides of the ball, including a new quarterback and running back. 

Though the Rams didn’t put any points on the scoreboard, the defense stood tall for most of the evening minus a few long touchdowns scattered throughout. The offense kept pushing as well until the final whistle, falling just short of a touchdown in the closing seconds of the game. 

“What we take away from Friday is that we saw glimpses of positive things that happened,” Greene County head coach Dean Lansman said. “But at the same time we had turnovers at crucial times when we were putting drives together and that hurt us. It’s tough to overcome that.”

Senior place kicker Nick Schroeder had a field goal wiped off the board at the end of the first half, nearly ending the shutout. The 30-yard field, which originally was called good by the line judge, was erased shortly thereafter once the referees met for a brief conference. 

The Rams trailed at the half, 14-0, but couldn’t pull any closer as the Knights ran off 13 points in the third quarter and then seven more in the fourth to close out the victory. 

The Rams turned the ball over three times – two interceptions and a lost fumble – while also bobbling the center-to quarterback exchange on three separate occasions. The mistakes, Lansman said, could have been due to the on-the-fly adjustments his players were trying to make. 

“Another thing that you saw was the inexperience we have on both sides of the ball,” the coach said. “But the positive is that we know we are going to get better from week to week.” 

Sophomore quarterback Clint Dennhardt was just 3-for-18 in the game with two interceptions, both in the first half. The righty, making only his second career start, stumbled to a rough start, throwing incompletions on his first seven passes. 

Dennhardt struggled to adjust to the speed of the game while also trying to collect his composure. 

“The coaching staff was really trying to calm his nerves down, he was really nervous going in,” Lansman said. “Being young and inexperienced stepping into a varsity game can be very overwhelming. We tried to put him in positions to be successful. We let the other running backs carry the load and told him to use his check downs. It didn’t have to be any big plays, just keep it simple and get some confidence. “

The Rams did find a bit of success in the run game, as senior Trey Tucker ran for 90 yards on 16 carries and junior Jake Berns found a few holes for 85 yards on 11 carries, including a 30-yard run around the outside early in the second quarter. 

“The coaches did a nice job finding where we could excel in the run game. I thought the line did a nice job and got a little of a push and actually gave Clint a lot of time to throw,” Lansman said. “Those are some good, positives we can build on going into this week.”

To get the passing game off the ground, Lansman said he and the coaches will reassess the game plan and work on tightening up the play-calling while also working with the receivers and quarterbacks. 

“We need to maybe shorten up the routes a little bit. Make sure Clint has confidence in himself and lets the receivers make the plays,” the coach said. “I think pretty much it will be just putting everyone in a position to be successful. It doesn’t have to be big plays. Short passes can be just as good as a good run game.”

Besides Rupiper’s 143 yards rushing, the Rams held the Knights to just 129 additional yards. Quarterback Gage Gunnerson completed just two of eight passes for 22 yards and forced a couple of turnover on downs. 

Junior Joe Towers led the team in tackles with 13.5, 10 solo, followed by Berns with eight. Hunter Ruth recorded two sacks to go with his 7.5 total tackles. 

The Rams are on the road again Friday as they take on the 0-1 Harlan Cyclones. 

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor

sports@beeherald.com

@BrandonJHurley

AMES – A cross country veteran and a rookie were the highlights of a solid season-opening meet for the Greene County cross country team last Thursday evening. 

Senior Olivia Hansen was up to her old tricks, securing an 18th place finish at the Iowa State University cross country course Aug. 25 with a time of 23:17, a 30 second improvement from a season ago. 

Freshman Bailey Cunningham came in just two spots later at 20th overall in her first varsity meet. She cruised to a time of 23:22.3. 

Overall, the Rams finished sixth as a team out of 12 squads from across central and west-central Iowa with 209 total points. Gilbert took home top honors with 32 total points with five top-12 runners, including silver medalist, Carly Rahn. 

Dallas Center-Grimes, North Polk, Newton and Nevada rounded out the top five.

“(It was a) top half finish for the girls in a tough 3A and 4A meet,” Greene County cross country coach Kelly Simpson said. “They need to believe that they can compete at this level which they showed they could.”

Hansen enters the 2016 season as the Rams’ top returning runner and it showed Thursday in Ames. 

“This was a much improved placing and time over last year’s performance at this meet. This should be a big confidence builder for her going into the next two meets,” Simpson said. 

Though Cunningham was running in her first ever varsity competition, the high finish was something her coaches knew she was capable of coming into the season. Simpson sees great potential in the young runner but still has a long ways to go before she consistently perform near the top. 

“This was a great start for the freshman, but not a surprise to the coaching staff,” the coach said. “She has great speed, but lacks the endurance and mileage that the runners in front of her.”

The girls’ next highest runner was Izzy Bravard, who ran a time of 28:04, good for 79th place, followed closely by Ashlee Harmeyer, who came in 80th overall with a time of 28:05. 

The Greene County boys had just five runners competing and came in 13th at the Gilbert Invite. Not one runner broke the top-100, with Nick Killion the Rams’ highest finisher at 113. Brian Hardaway (181), Nathan Kennedy (194), Sergio Perez (205) and Jacob Hueser (231) rounded out the rest of the Greene County runners. Dallas Center-Grimes’ tandem of Alex Thomspen and Tyler Borneman finished one-two on the boys’ side powering the Mustangs to the overall title with 26 total points. Gilbert, Bondurant-Farrar, North Polk and Kuemper filled out the top-five.

Simpson was encouraged by Kennedy’s effort, as he improved his time from a year ago by nearly an entire minute. He ran the 5K course in 26 seconds flat, 58 seconds better than his time last fall. 

“Nathan Kennedy ran a much improved race over his last year’s performance, but the rest of the boys ran a little tentative,” Simpson said. “Hopefully, they will push the pace throughout the race more at Stuart.”

The Ram cross country team hits the road again for the West Central Valley Invite this afternoon in Stuart. Simpson hopes to see overall improvement from all of his runners in what should be a fairly easier course than the one in Ames. 

“We want to see a big drop in time by all our runners,” the coach said. “If the heat and humidity stays down this course should run faster than the ISU course.”

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor 

sports@beeherald.com

@BrandonJHurley

BOONE–  Greene County’s Haley Hall  captured three first place titles helping spring the Boone High School girls’ swim team to a sweep of Grinnell and Des Moines Lincoln Thursday, Aug. 25 in Boone. 

The Toreadors were victorious 55-47 over the Lincoln Railsplitters and stomped Grinnell, 83-18.

Hall won the 200-yard freestyle (2:08.49), the 100-yard butterfly (1:05.31) and was a member of the 200-yard medley-winning relay team along with Madelynn Santi, Erin Kokemiller and Anne Marie DeVries (1:56.04). 

Two other Greene County swimmers provided pivotal performances in the pair of victories Thursday as well. Megan Doran and Ashley Hunter were members of the 200-yard freestyle relay-winning team (1:48.82) and also joined Hall on the second-place 400-yard freestyle relay squad.  

The Toreadors won nine of 12 events Thursday, giving the girls two convincing victories to opent the season. 

“I couldn’t have asked for more from our girls,” head coach Chris Mann said. “The game plan was to win as many events as possible. You never know what hand you’ve been dealt until after that first meet of the season, and I’ll be sticking with mine. Awesome swims from seniors on down to freshmen.

We didn’t have a single race where we showed weakness. Our medley was a 1:56 flat with some very safe starts. We may not have won the 400-free relay, but that was the closest race we have had in this pool in a long time. With a huge crowd, it was absolutely deafening in the pool area when Madelynn (Santi) and Lincoln’s Sara (Bennett) dove in at the same time (on the final leg).”

The Toreador swimmers are in the pool again Tuesday for a triangular with Perry and Algona at the McCreary Rec Center in Perry. Start time is 6:30 p.m. 

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor 

sports@beeherald.com

@BrandonJHurley

What a few weeks it has been for the Jefferson Herald sports guy. 

Not only did I stumble to a lousy 11-6 record in the opening week, but I was hit full force with car trouble once again, this time, late at night in the dark. 

But, true to any happy life, a strong support system and family that is willing to literally pick you up when you need it most, will get you through anything. 

This isn’t exactly the kind of job you want to have car trouble with. Obviously, nobody likes car trouble, but when a profession requires you to be at several athletic contests a week, you kind of need reliable transportation. 

My troubles started a few weeks ago when I was headed toward Coon Rapids. Suddenly, my trusty 2001 Honda Accord decided to join in on the summer fun and over heat. Wouldn’t you know it, my car started smoking and died as I pulled onto main street. 

This is when having good, loyal friends helps. I had a friend of mine (you know who you are) come pick me up and take me all the way to my home in Boone, leaving my car to get fixed by a local mechanic. 

My bad luck didn’t just stop there. 

I thought I had the problem fixed, but then my car died in the parking lot just a week later while picking up food, this time, thankfuly in Boone. 

So, another trip to the mechanic it was, only to find out my car troubles still were not solved. 

As I was driving home from Greene County’s football game in Carroll this past Friday, my car begin overheating, ONCE AGAIN, as I was passing through Glidden. Wouldn’t you know it, my trusty old car would die one more time, leaving me an hour from home at 10:30 at night. 

Thankfully, my mom was nice enough to come all the way from Ames and pick me up at midnight on a Friday night. So shout out to the best mom in the world, you saved me again. 

OK, OK, time to end this needless rambling, but moral of the story, it’s a new week and I’m ready for a new car and I’m ready for a shot at redemption in my picks. 

So here we go, week two Football Contest picks. Feel free to follow along for fun or compare how (well) you do compared to me. 

The Bee’s weekly Football Contest can be found in each week’s edition published every Tuesday. Entries are due by 5 p.m. Friday at the Jefferson Herald office. 

Last week’s winner was Dana Fink who went 15-2 in week one and won the tie-breaker. Justine Lawson also was 15-2 but came in second after the tie-breaker (total points). Dax Lautner was the third place winner. Congratulations!

SEASON RECORD: 11-6

*Winners in Bold

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

1. Greene County at Harlan

This is tough. Both teams are coming over opening week beat downs and both are young. I’m sticking with the home town team.

2. Dallas Center-Grimes at Pella 

This should be a dandy. Two-time defending 2A champ (Pella) versus an up-and-coming DC-G team. I’m taking the Little Dutch though in a hard-fought battle. 

3. Bishop Heelan at Carroll

Week two is loaded with instant classics. A couple of 3A heavy-weights scare off, but I’m taking Carroll. The Tigers are big up front and have an experienced backfired. 

4. Kuemper Catholic at Council Bluffs, St. Albert

Kuemper keeps it rolling following their season-opening shutout win.

5. Nevada at Perry

Perry picked up their first win in over a year but Nevada should be too much for the Bluejays. 

6. Colo-NESCO at Coon Rapids-Bayard

Coon Rapids-Bayard is the better, more veteran team and just stomped eight-man power, Newell-Fonda. Lock it up. 

7.  Newell-Fonda at Glidden-Ralston 

Both squads may be in the midst of rebuilding seasons. I take Newell-Fonda here, but not very confidently. 

8. Webster City at Clear Lake

The Lynx showed they may be reloading instead of rebuilding after a 39-point beat down of Humboldt in week one. 

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

9. Miami (Ohio) at #17 Iowa (-27.5) 

I’ve heard Miami is garbage. Iowa covers, just barely. 

10. Northern Iowa at Iowa State (-7) 

Off-shore accounts have Iowa State as the seven point favorite (UNI is an FCS school). It’s close, but I’m going to take ISU. New coach, new players, new buzz. Matt Campbell gets the W and covers. 

11. Fresno State (+28) at Nebraska 

Give me the points. Nebraska actually should be pretty good this year, but asking them to cover 28 points against a usually feisty Fresno State squad – I don’t think so. 

12. #3 Oklahoma (-11.5) at #15 Houston

Baker Mayfield and company handle a Houston squad that isn’t quite ready for the bright lights. 

13. #20 USC vs. #1 Alabama (-9) (Arlington, Texas)

Defending-champion Alabame rolls over an always over-hyped USC squad. ‘Bama could easily cover a two-touchdown spread here. 

14. #2 Clemson (-8) at Auburn

This line is only -8 because they are giving the Auburn home crowd some credit. Clemson has Deshaun Watson, who is my pick for the Heisman this year. The Tigers (Clemson) cover in an all-jungle cat battle. 

15. #10 Notre Dame (-3.5) at Texas

The line has moved to -3.5, and rightfully so. I would be all over this line. Texas is another squad getting too much respect. Notre Dame stomps the Longhorns on their own turf. 

16. #5 LSU (-10) vs. Wisconsin (Lambeau Field, Green Bay) 

Wisconsin is about to head in a downward spiral. We saw a little bit of it last year, and it will continue this year. Too much coaching turnover and LSU has the second best running back in the country in Leonard Fournette (Standford’s Christian McCaffrey is far and away the top dog.)

17. Oregon State (+13) at Minnesota 

I don’t have many upset specials, if any at all, but no way Minnesota covers this. The hype has gone a little too far. While I do think the Gophers win, they can’t cover that ungodly 13-point spread. Give me the Beavers. 

Staff Report

SAYDEL – The Greene County varsity volleyball team picked up a split Tuesday night in their first action of the season at Saydel.

The Rams dropped the opening game with Gilbert, three sets to none but won the night cap over Saydel, in straight sets, 3-0.

Gilbert may have won in a sweep, but the Rams didn’t go down without a fight. After a lackluster opening set in which the Tigers prevailed, 25-11, the Rams fought back and lost the final two sets by a combine six points. 

Gilbert won set two, 25-21 and closed out the final set squeaking out a 25-23 victory. 

The outcome was much brighter for the Greene County girls in the second game. After battling through a hard-fought opening set against Saydel (25-22), the Rams cruised to victory in the final two frames, winning by a combined 37 games.

Greene County won set two, 25-7 and breezed through the final set, 25-6. 

Stats were not available at the time of print. 

The Rams are 1-1 on the season and head to Lake City Saturday morning for the South Central Calhoun tournament. Action gets underway at 9 a.m.  The girls’ first home game is Sept. 8 against South Hamilton. First serve is set for 7 p.m.

Freshman triangular with Gilbert and Saydel

Rams sweep pair of foes in Saydel

Game one stats:

Greene County 2, Saydel 0

- Set 1: 25-12 Greene County

- Set 2: 25-7 Greene County 

* Paige Heaning and Kylie Roach led with six service aces apiece.  

Game two stats: 

Greene County 2, Gilbert 1

- Set 1: 12-25 Gilbert

- Set 2: 25-23 Greene County

- Set 3: 15-12 Greene County

* Paige Heaning led the team with 10 ace serves. Kylie Roach had seven and Aubrey Heupel had five. Paige Heaning and Tieryn Tucker led the team in kills with six each. Heaning also led in digs with 10, Aubrey Heupel had five. Kylie Roach and Abby Kozal both had three digs.

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor 

sports@beeherald.com

@BrandonJHurley

Harlan – A slim seven-point Greene County first quarter lead quickly evaporated as the Harlan Cyclones ran off a 28-point second quarter to take control of a non district game Friday, Sept. 2, outlasting the Rams, 42-19. 

The loss dropped Greene County to 0-2 on the year but saw glimpses of a high-powered offense that failed to appear in their 34-0 week one loss to Kuemper. 

The Rams put up three touchdowns in Harlan, a vast improvement from a week ago, including a 79-yard touchdown pass and an 80-yard run in the first half to stay within striking distance. 

Senior Tailback Trey Tucker finished the game with 161 rush yards and one touchdown on just 13 carries. Nick Schroeder was the Rams’ leading receiver with four catches for 79 yards. 

Quarterback Clint Dennhardt finished the game with 146 yards passing and two touchdowns – including a 79-yard bomb to Logan Lansman for the game’s first score – and threw just one interception. 

The Rams opened Friday’s contest with guns a-blazing as Dennhardt found Lansman for a long pitch and catch to take a 7-0 lead just three and a half minutes into the game. 

“We came out and were obviously ready to play. We held them on defense and scored when we got the ball to go up seven nothing,” Greene County head coach Dean Lansman said. 

The Greene County defense dug in and dominated the Harlan offense for the first third of the game, holding them scoreless for the opening 19 minutes. The Rams held onto their seven-point lead well into the second quarter before Harlan finally found their footing as tailback Nick Tarney waltzed into the end zone from two yards out at the 5:18 mark to tie the game. That touchdown seemed to open the flood gates, as Harlan scored on their next possession to take a 14-7 lead. 

Greene County was quick to answer on Tucker’s 80-yard touchdown jaunt to pull the Rams within one at 14-13. 

The Cyclones weren’t done scoring, as quarterback Deren Schmitz found Dillon Sears for a 58-yard touchdown as well as a 25-yard strike to Josh Cheek to put Harlan up 28-13 at the break. 

“They got on the board, made some big plays and we gave up some big passes that hurt us,” Lansman said. 

Though the Cyclones only put up 14 second half points – seven each in the third and fourth quarters, they held the Rams scoreless through the entire third period. Harlan focused on stopping Tucker and it left the Greene County offense scrambling. 

“I think defensively, they made some adjustments and started putting six guys up at the line of scrimmage and alleviated us from getting outside,” Lansman said. “We also had some receivers open at times and missed them.” 

Senior Chase Stoline hauled in Dennhardt’s second touchdown of the night, a 14-yard catch early in the fourth quarter to close the gap to 35-19, but it was too little, too late. 

The grind of the game began to wear on the Rams in the second half and the lack of depth began to show as they Cyclones pulled away. While the lead wasn’t insurmountable by any means, asking the offense to show the same burst and energy as they did in the first half was a little much. 

“I think a lot of the second half had to do with the fact that a lot of our kids play both ways and many of the teams we will face are hardly going to play anyone both ways,” Lansman said. “That kind of takes a toll toward the end of the game.” 

Tucker finished the night with a 12.4 yards per carry average and is now up to 251 yards on the season – a 125 yards per game average. The key to Tucker’s success, Lansman said, was the play of the offensive line on Friday. 

“Up front, our blocking was much improved and that helped open up some holes,” the coach said. “I think the kids are getting more comfortable in understanding the scheme and what we want to do. We were able to hit a few more passes this week as well and that opened up some holes.”

Dennhardt’s two touchdown passes were an immense improvement from just a week ago, as the sophomore completed just three passes while throwing two picks in the loss to Kuemper. 

The quarterback was able to find success right off the bat on Friday which led to a better focus, Lansman felt.  

“I think from that first big touchdown pass really settled him down,” the coach said. “You could definitely tell he was more into the game and was using his check downs. That really gave him some confidence and we were able to score and give him some more opportunities. That’s just going to keep getting better.” 

Harlan quarterback Deren Schmitz torched the Rams defense in the win, throwing for 303 yards and three touchdowns with 74 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Dillon Sears hauled in six passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns. 

“Some of the passes (Schmitz) made were nice throws but really, we were out of position and that took its toll,” Lansman said. “We changed it up and played some different coverages but more than anything, we got out of position. That’s something we need to work on in practice.” 

Linebacker Joe Towers once again led the Rams in tackles with 10 and now has a team-leading 23.5 tackles through two games.  

“A lot of the linebacker tackles get credit from the guys up front and sometimes the defensive line really does flow it that way, but he really has a great nose for the ball,” Lansman said. “That helps when you are playing inside linebacker. He makes some good reads and puts him in a position to make plays.”  

Though it was another loss, one that coach Lansman felt was within their grasp, he saw enough from his guys to know they are making strides. 

“We saw a lot of improvement from week one to week two but let one get away from us,” the coach said.  

The Rams are home for the first time this season as they host Dallas Center-Grimes (1-1) on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. 

Staff Report

Several Greene County athletes played instrumental roles in a commanding sweep in the pool Tuesday evening as the Boone High School girls swim team outlasted Perry and Algona. 

The Toreadors crushed Perry by a score of 64-23 and dismantled Algona, 71-23 to push their overall record to 4-0 on the season. 

Greene County’s Ashley Hunter won the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle while Megan Doran won the 100-yard butterfly. 

Ellie Madson, also a student in Greene County, won the 500-yard freestyle and and held down the anchor leg for the 200-yard freestyle relay-winning squad.

Greene County’s Haley Hall helped power the 200-yard freestyle team to victory with a time of 1:47.7 while she also swam a leg for the 400-yard freestyle relay-winning team. 

Hunter didn’t stick to just individual glory with as she was a member of the 400-yard freestyle relay champion as well as the first-place 200-yard medley relay squad along with Doran. 

“We had a great meet shuffling our lineup a bit,” Boone head coach Chris Mann said. “Lauren (Kennedy) and Ashley (Hunter) both had great meets. Megan (Doran) also had a fantastic meet - especially swimming fly.” 

The Toreadors are in the pool again for a dual meet Monday, Sept. 12 in Algona against Spencer and Algona. Start time is set for 6:30 p.m.